Patent GB-1278046-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to machines for trimming lead-acid battery electrode grids
Inventor: GOODWIN ALAN JOHN
IPC: B23D31/04
Filed: 1968-06-21
Abstract: 1278046 Shearing; casting battery grids CHLORIDE OVERSEAS Ltd 20 June 1969 [21 June 1968] 29680/68 Headings B3F and B3W A lead-acid grid 20 is ejected from a vertical casting mould 10 by pins (not shown) extending through holes in a fixed slab of the mould and is caused to turn as it falls on to a cooling bed 31 on which it is retained by a resilient stop 32. After an interval the stop 32 is pivoted to allow the grid to move along a slide 30 integral with the cooling bed 31 to a shear 40 comprising a fixed blade 41 mounted on the slide 30 and a crank actuated blade 42. The upper blade beam 43 also carries guide rods 51 on which a first, resiliently mounted gauging stop bar 50 is slidable. The operative position of the bar is determined by adjustable stops 56. Ball catches 58 on the blade 42 are engageable with recesses in the bar 50. Upward movement of the stop bar is limited by fixed stops 65, which disengage the ball catches. A spring-loaded hold-down 60 is also mounted on the beam 43. A second gauging stop 72 is pivotally mounted on arms 73 supporting a transfer plate 70, the lower ends of the arms being pivoted on a pair of bell cranks 75 mounted on a shaft 76 oscillatable by a crank (not shown). In the lowermost position of the plate the arms 73 rest on a rod 78. In operation, a grid is fed to the shear 40 with the stop bar 50 in the Fig. 3 position and the beam is moved downwards for the blade to trim the forward edge of the grid. At or approaching the lowest position of the blade 42 the ball catches 58 engage the recesses 59 so that the stop bar is lifted with the blade allowing the grid to slide down to engage the stop 72. As the blade 42 reaches its uppermost position the stop bar 50 engages the stops 65, the ball catches are released and the stop bar falls on to projections (79) (Fig. 5, not shown) on the plate 70, which has been lowered into substantial alignment with the slide 30, so that it is held out of contact with the grid. The blade descends again to trim the trailing edge of the grid. After this cut, the bell cranks 75 are rotated clockwise which causes the plate 70 to be withdrawn in a downstream direction and rocked first slightly anticlockwise and then clockwise about the rod 78, the projections 79 being removed from under the stop bar 50 which subsides on to the stops 56. After a certain angular movement of the cranks 75 a rod 77 engages the arms 7 3 and moves the plate bodily to the Fig. 3 full line position in which the grid is suspended from portions 81 of stacking rails 80 by lugs (not shown). The grid is pushed along the rails as the plate moves to the broken line position in which the stop 72 topples over clockwise to tip off any metal chippings. The stop 72 is returned to its full line position while the plate returns to alignment with the slide 30 to receive the next grid after its leading edge has been trimmed. The grid may be transferred from the mould to the slide 30 by means of a shoot pivoted about its upper open end into which the grid falls, blade springs, fixed at their upper ends to a stationary member, extending through slots in the rear wall of the shoot to clamp the grid against the front wall. As the shoot is pivoted the springs cease to grip the grid which slides via a stationary stop on to the slide 30.